BY ORDER OF THE CZAR, 371
as a war correspondent he had chronicled in one of the leading English newspapers the triumphs of the Russian arms on a great campaign, and had been honored with the personal recognition of His late Majesty after a. certain famous battle, made him a persona grata in the brilliant Russian capital.
Having discovered that Philip Forsyth was one of the prisoners en route for Siberia, under the command of Cap- tain Karakazov, and in all probability only despatched some few weeks previously from Moscow, he made rapid dispositions for prosecuting his journey. In the meantime he wrote encouraging letters full of good assurance of his own safety to his wife and of hopeful prospects to Philip's mother.
What surprised Chetwynd more than anything during his investigations at St. Petersburg, was the utter and complete disappearance of the Countess Stravensky.
The Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, a singularly well-informed and courteous gentleman, who from being reticent at the beginning of their interview became almost loquacious at its close, assured him that there was no doubt about the complicity of the Countess Stravensky in the recent plot. The police were engaged in unraveling her career. It was believed that ever since her remarkable marriage with the Count Stravensky, one of the Govern- ment's most devoted servants, she had been mixed up in the Russian propaganda. If this were so, the countess had conducted her affairs with great skill and daring. She had received complimentary recognition from the Russian Court, and indeed had been almost, in certain social di- rections, an accredited agent, and was certainly regarded as a friend to the reigning family. She had been received at the Russian Court, and was a distinguished personage in the highest Russian circles; but within the last few months the police had discovered what they considered to
